Korea must beef up missile defense capabilities before THAAD

South Korea's military chief stressed the need to strengthen the country's missile defense capabilities to counter North Korea's missile threats before a US anti-missile system is to be deployed on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's military said Friday.

Gen. Lee Sun-jin, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the remarks during Seoul and Washington's Military Committee Meeting held in Washington on Thursday with his counterpart, Gen. Joseph Dunford, it said.

"The generals agreed to continuously develop effective response measures in order to deter, and if necessary, respond to additional provocations from North Korea," the JCS statement said.

Lee stressed that Seoul and Washington will continue proactive and practical cooperation to deter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats including the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) on South Korean soil.

The two countries agreed in July to station an anti-missile defense system by late 2017 as Pyongyang is moving forward with its weapons of mass destruction program. In 2016 alone, the reclusive country conducted two nuclear tests and launched more than 20 ballistic missiles despite warnings by the international community.

The JCS said that Lee stressed the need to enhance the country's missile defense capabilities before the THAAD system is deployed.

The four-star general also emphasized the importance of strengthening tailored deterrence strategy and greater collaboration by the allies to deal with threats by North Korea's submarine-launched ballistic missiles, it added.

Dunford said that despite North Korea's threats, Seoul-Washington alliance will continue to "grow firmer and stronger," vowing that the US will continue its ironclad commitment to defending the Korean Peninsula, according to the statement.

The allies have hosted the Military Committee Meeting alternately since the first talks in 1978. (Yonhap)